Pocket flight position indicator



May 17, 1949. I J. K. CHRISTIE 2,470,143

POCKET FLIGHT POSITION INDICATOR Original Filed March 23, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J'olm Christie J. CHRISTIE POCKET FLIGHTPOSITION INDICATOR Original Filed Mafich 2a, 1944 May 17,- 1949.

2 Sheet-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. John K Christie BY g) :AI'WDHA/E PatentedMay 17, 1949 u N 1 T so smrss PM orries POCKET FLIGHT POSITION INDICATORJohn K. Christie, NewCity, N. Y.

Substituted for abandoneii application Serial No.

527,'7.67,Marc'h :23, .1944. This application :Octo- 'ber '17, 1946,Serial No. 703,765

'Olaims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvement in a flightposition indicator.

This is a substitute for my abandonedapplication, filed on March 23,1944, Serial .Number 527,767.

More specifically, the invention proposes an indicator for the studentto familiarize him with the relative appearance of'the horizon inrelation to the cabin windows in various positions of the plane. Theimproved indicator is capable of indicating the vertical position of thehorizon for various positions of climb, level flight or dive, andoblique positions of the horizon for various bankings of the plane.

The invention proposes to characterize-the new flight position indicatorby the fact that it is composed of a pair of discs axially, pivotallyconnected with each other, oneofsaid-discs'having a horizon and anangular distance-scalethereon, and the-other of said discs havingaipilots view picture of said horizon and an angle indicator workingover said scale to give tilting horizon indications.

The invention further contemplates :the provision of m ans for movingsaid pilots view picture radially of said discs to give height horizonindications.

For further comprehension of the invention, and ofthe objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the followingdescriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims inwhich the various novel featuresof the invention are more' particularlyset forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material "part of thisdisclosure- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a flight positionindicator constructedin accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but iliustrated with theparts in a difierent position.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on re line 2i3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of-one of the discs of the flightindicator.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the other'disc of the flight indicator.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the shiftable section of the flightindicator.

The flight position indicator, according to this invention, includes apair of discs 3E! and 31 axially pivotally connected by a staple 32. Thedisc 35 is of opaque material and slightly larger than the disc 3i sothat it has a projecting flange portion upon which the angular distancebanking .etc. section 34 and is cooperative withthe scale '44.

scale --44 to indicate vertical flight.

scale '33 is imprinted. The disc 3| isma'de of transparentmaterial.

inthemain section of the disc 31. The'shift'a'ble section E lis formedwith a vertical slot ali'through whichthe staple 32 projects. Theshiftable section at is imprinted with indicia 3'! to represent thepilots View ofthe lCOCkpit, and windows 38 thereof. The/back disc '36]is imprinted withindicia to represent the sky, earth and'the horizon 3'9therebetween, which may be viewed through the disc BI and the windows3'8. The disc 3il'is provided with-an arrow 49 working over theba'nkingscale '33. The shiftable member "34 has a transparent section 4! so thatthe arrow "40 is always viewable even though the section "34 is shiftedupwards over the arrow 48.

The disc 3'i has a vertical position scale '44 located on one side'togive'level'flig'ht, glide, or dive, An arrow 45 isimprinted on theshiftable Theoperation of this invention is as follows: Thestudent mayshift the section t lso that the arrow '45 indicates various positionsalong the At the-same time the disc 3| may be turned relative to thedisc 30 to give positions of the horizon during the banking. The bankingangle may be read from the scale 33 by viewing the position of the arrow40.

While I have'illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of .myinvention, it is to "be understood thatlI do notlimit myself tothepreciseconstructionherein-disclosed and the right is reserved .toallchanges and modifications coming within :the scope of the inventionas defined in-the appendedclaims. I

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as .new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent .is:

1. A flight position indicator having a .pair of superimposed concentricdiscs formed with concentricaligned openings, the bottom one of which isformed with an indicia adapted to represent sk n-earth and the horizontherebetween; and

staple passing through an elongated slot formed in said section in analigned position with said concentric openings and through saidconcentric openings forming an integral movable unit of said discs andsection.

2. A flight position indicator having a pair of superimposed concentricdiscs formed with concentric aligned openings, the bottom one of whichis formed with an indicia adapted to represent sky, earth and thehorizon therebetween; and the other one of which is transparent andformed with a groove in which a section, imprinted with indicia torepresent the pilots view of the cockpit and windows thereof throughwhich the horizon may be viewed, is slidably disposed, and means forconnecting said discs and section together so that the top disc may berotated relative to the horizon while the section is simultaneouslymoved radially thereof, comprising a staple passing through an elongatedslot formed in said section in an aligned position with said concentricopenings and through said concentric openings forming an integralmovable unit of said discs and section, said groove being equal in depthto the thickness of said section so that the top faces of said sectionand top disc are flush.

3. A flight position indicator having a pair of superimposed concentricdiscs formed with concentric aligned openings, the bottom one of whichis formed with an indicia adapted to represent sky, earth and thehorizon therebetween; and the other one of which is transparent andformed with a groove in which a section, imprinted with indicia torepresent the pilots view of the cockpit and windows thereof throughWhich the horizon may be viewed, is slidably disposed, and means forconnecting said discs and section together so that the top disc may berotated relative to the horizon While the section is simultaneouslymoved radially thereof, comprising a staple passing through an elongatedslot formed in said section in an aligned position with said concentricopenings and through said concentric openings forming an integralmovable unit of said discs and section, said slot being extendedparallel to said groove permitting a free movement of said section insaid groove.

4. A flight position indicator having a pair of- 1 superimposed discsformed with concentric aligned openings, the lowermost of the discsbeing formed of opaque material and imprinted on its face adjacent thetopmost disc with an indicia representing sky, earth and the horizontherebetween, the topmost of the discs being formed of transparentmaterial permitting the indicia of the lowermost disc to be viewedtherethrough and having a groove extending diametrically thereacross, amember slidably disposed in said groove and imprinted with indiciarepresenting the; pilots View of the cockpit and windows thereof throughwhich the horizon may be viewed, said member being formed with anelongated slot extended parallel to said groove and aligned with theconcentric aligned openings of the discs, and a staple passing throughsaid elongated slot of said member and the concentric aligned openingsof the discs connecting the discs and said member together, whereby saidmember may be shifted radially in said groove and the discs may berotated relative to each other, the lowermost of the discs being largerthan the topmost disc forming a flange portion which surrounds thetopmost disc, said flange portion being imprinted on its top face with abanking scale, the topmost of the discs being provided within saidgroove with an arrow registering with said banking scale in the variousturned positions of the discs relative to each other, and transparentmeans on said member permitting said arrow to be viewed in all shiftedpositions of said member in a direction toward said arrow.

' 5. A flight position indicator having a pair of superimposed discsformed with concentric aligned openings, the lowermost of the discsbeing formed of opaque material and imprinted on its face adjacent thetopmost disc with an indicia representing sky, earth and the horizontherebetween, the topmost of the discs being formed of transparentmaterial permitting the indicia of the lowermost disc to be viewedtherethrough and having a groove extending diametrically thereacross, amember slidably disposed in said groove and imprinted with indiciarepresenting the pilots view of the cockpit and windows thereof throughwhich the horizon may be viewed, said member being formed with anelongated slot extended parallel to said groove and aligned with theconcentric aligned openings of the discs, and staple passing throughsaid elongated slot of said member and the concentric aligned openingsof the discs connecting the discs and said member together, whereby saidmember may be shifted radially in said groove and the discs may berotated relative to each other, the lowermost of the discs being largerthan the topmost disc forming a flange portion which surrounds thetopmost disc, said flange portion being imprinted on its top face with abanking scale, the topmost of the discs being provided within saidgroove with an arrow registering with said banking scale in the variousturned positions of the discs relative to each other, and transparentmeans on said member permitting said arrow to be viewed in all shiftedpositions of said member in a direction toward said arrow, saidtransparent means comprises a transparent section on said member alignedwith said arrow.

JOHN K. CHRISTIE.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the fil of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Beishline Mar. 5, 1946

